One Color
by ThickerThanLove
Summary: It's amazing what influence one can have...R&R Please!


One Color  
  
Rainbow Brite and Company isn't mine. I don't claim any ownership except of this story. No infringement is intended; this is for the entertainment of fans only.  
  
  
  
They say the needs of many outweigh the needs of one but when the one is one they love, the needs of one outweigh the many.  
  
Murky Dismal had been working for weeks on his newest invention. Those that had disappointed him decorated the whole area of his workshop and lay in pieces all about. But he was biting his lower lip as he perfected his latest attempt. It was a small gun, shaped like a rifle of sorts. However it was made of similar materials, an empty tank which Murky filled with his own gloom. It had taken hours to perfect but now it was faultless.  
  
The gloom-obsessed creature withdrew a handful of color crystals from his pocket and winced at their colors. Placing them on the table, Murky took a careful aim and fired. A black mist swirled about them and when it faded, they had turned shades of black and grey. He let out a cry of glee.  
  
'It works! It works! Lurky!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Rainbow!"  
  
The blond haired girl turned and greeted Patty O'Green, her best friend. She hated that she had to go away and rarely got time to spend with her but Patty was loyal and patient. Rainbow chuckled inwardly. Besides, Patty always had Buddy to keep her company.  
  
"What's up, Patty?"  
  
"Just asking when you'll be back."  
  
"Probably by sunset, why?"  
  
Patty smiled, "Maybe we could do something tonight."  
  
Rainbow smiled and winked. "Count on it."  
  
Patty smiled. She knew Rainbow'd do something with her. She always tried. Rainbow, despite how busy she got, cared dearly for her friends. Patty winked at her friend as she climbed onto Starlite's back.  
  
"I'll see you later, Rainbow."  
  
The blond haired girl nodded and soon disappeared up into the clouds.  
  
Patty turned to Lucky by her side, ready with a bag of green star sprinkles. Patty planned to patch up some areas of the Green grange while Rainbow was gone. She'd noted them fading yesterday but had been too exhausted from her work on earth to tend to them at the moment. Now she swiftly headed for her part of RainbowLand to fix that.  
  
She walked past Indigo and La La as she did.  
  
"Hey Patty, we're going to have a picnic in the Yellow Plains. Wanna come?" La La asked. "Red and Buddy are up in the Color Cave."  
  
Patty shook her head, "I have to fix some green first. Maybe later when I'm finished I'll pop in."  
  
Indigo called after her,  
  
"You're a workaholic Patty."  
  
Patty smiled, "I know."  
  
Then she left the two girls behind her. La La and Indigo looked at each other shaking their heads. But they started towards the plains, where Violet and Canary were waiting for them. La La said,  
  
"I swear she'll have a heart attack one day."  
  
Indigo smiled, "I doubt that. Buddy won't let her heart get in that hazard."  
  
The two girls smiled at that before walking into Canary's territory.  
  
* * *  
  
"Yes!" Murky smiled in glee as the color drained from a blue bell. The color left as a mist and into his gun where it was sent to a small vial. The small test tube filled and then Murky removed it. The original color was bottled up forever. He would have to do some experimenting to figure out how to eliminate them.  
  
But this gun was very important and a great break thru. Once he had removed the color, his gloom left a mark inside his subject, which did not allow new color to be added as that Rainbow Brat often did. No, it prevented any new color from entering. Only the original color could reverse the gloom. He wished he could have made it so that could not work either but it was an improvement.  
  
"Beautiful isn't it Lurky?" he asked his stumbling companion.  
  
"It was prettier earlier, Murky." Was the reply. The gloom filled creature sighed at his friend's disappreciation but ignored it. He was far too happy. Glancing ahead, he said, "Now let's get rid of some more. Starting with some of that disgusting green!"  
  
* * *  
  
Patty frowned and concentrated harder. The color hummed form her fingertips but refused to travel into the leaves of the selected flower. Her fingertips began to burn form the power she was emitting and sweat beaded her forehead.  
  
"Give it up, Color Brat." A voice sneered.  
  
Patty jerked her head up and backed up, "Murky! Lurky!" she regained her courage from the shock and shouted, "What did you do to my flowers?"  
  
Murky was more than willing to tell her. He knew that she would never be able to warn her friends.  
  
"Say hello to my new Color Absorber! This time not even your Rainbow Brat leader can undo my gloom. The color is absorbed and put where it belongs, bottled up forever!"  
  
Patty growled and gestured for Clover to go and get some help. The female sprite ran off but Lucky remained by her side. However he did stay a bit behind her. Patty was tempted to use her belt. Contrary to what many believed, Rainbow's belt was not the only that could generate a stream of color. Every color kid's could do the same; only it was stream of their respective color only. However, they did not use them often, as there was not generally a need and because they did not use them regularly, using them at any point weakened them almost to the point of collapse.  
  
But despite that knowledge Patty pressed the star on her belt ready to release her power.  
  
Murky acted first however.  
  
"Test it yourself, brat!"  
  
A wave of black exploded from the gun's barrel and surround Patty. Lucky let out a cry of alarm but didn't dare enter the mist. Lurky and Murky took off running and leapt into the Grunge Buggy before racing away in a cloud of dust. Lucky made an urge to run after them but knew he could do nothing and in any case he couldn't bring himself to leave Patty.  
  
Patty was in an agony. The mist wrapped around her and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She began to cough, almost in too much pain to breathe. Her body was burning and she felt like she was being stripped of everything dear to her. Weakness swept over her, uncommon to the tomboy. Her knees trembled and she locked them to keep upright. A high fever washed over almost immediately.  
  
To any other, the mist faded in a few moments but it felt like hours to Patty. It faded away and the weakness became too much for Patty. She collapsed onto the ground, in a semi-conscious state.  
  
Lucky screamed.  
  
Every speck of color had been taken from Patty's body.  
  
* * *  
  
"What Clover?" Indigo said, trying to understand the frantic sprite. The female green sprite finally got out,  
  
~ Murky! Lurky! ~  
  
Violet and the others stood and then La La said, "I'll get the boys." The others nodded and took off for the Green Grange, to try and help.  
  
La La headed for the cave, feet pounding. Her hair began to blow behind her and sweat built up on her forehead. She wiped it away with her wrist and tore into the cave.  
  
"Buddy! Red!"  
  
"La La?" a surprised voice called. The orange color kid whirled around, her brown hair flying into her face. Red and Buddy were looking at her, concerned. She ran to Red and grabbed his hands.  
  
"Red, Murky and Lurky are here, in the Green Grange and they've done something to some of the colors. Certain things have lost their color!"  
  
"Let's go!" Red tore past La La, Buddy behind him. La La ran after them, her heart pounding from her sprint.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hang on Patty, please," Indigo was begging her friend, who was lying motionless in Violet's arms. She was still breathing although they could tell each breath was labored. She didn't open her eyes, just knew them by their voices.  
  
"Patty!"  
  
The girls turned as La La, Red and Buddy rushed onto the scene. The blue Color Kid was at Patty's side in a moment.  
  
"Patty? Patty!"  
  
He grasped her face in his hands, trying to bite down the tears in his eyes and the threatening sob in his throat. The once green haired girl managed to crack her eyes a bit. Her eyes.they were still deep green-blue. She had shut her eyes. That had spared them. Those eyes, those colors that seemed insignificant were the only reason she had not faded away completely.  
  
Buddy asked her, gently, "Patty? Can you put your arms around my neck?"  
  
The girl nodded and using all the strength she had, locked her fingers together behind his neck. Buddy slipped one hand under her knees and lifted her up into his arms. She leaned against his chest saying,  
  
"Buddy, it's hot.so hot."  
  
Buddy knew as well as the rest of Kids what was happening.  
  
Patty was dying.  
  
He put his face into her hair and replied softly,  
  
"I know, Patty. I know."  
  
* * *  
  
Starlite looked at Rainbow with worry in his eyes. She had insisted that they head back. She couldn't say why just said,  
  
"Please, Starlite, it's just a feeling."  
  
The horse had consented. Now as RainbowLand came into view he was stunned.  
  
The colors, particularly green were fading. Rainbow spoke softly,  
  
"Patty, it must be Patty. Faster Starlite!"  
  
The horse took off at a dead run.  
  
* * *  
  
Rainbow's heart hit her knees when she saw Patty.  
  
The girl's colors were gone; her hair had turned grey and her skin white. Her clothing was a grey and black shade that tore Rainbow's heart open. The Color Kids noted her and ran to her, telling her what happened.  
  
All but Buddy.  
  
He wet another cloth and wiped Patty's hot forehead. The girl in reply whimpered. She grasped the boy by his shirt and drew closer, in a rare display of weakness. Buddy smoothed her hair and Rainbow walked over. Buddy moved a bit, letting her sit down.  
  
"Patty?" she traced her friend's face with her finger. The girl opened her eyes and smiled,  
  
"Hey."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"It hurts."  
  
Rainbow closed her eyes. Violet had told her that her rainbow couldn't restore Patty's colors; only the originals could do that.  
  
"I know Patty, I'm going to get your colors back, I promise."  
  
Patty nodded before exhaustion overwhelmed her again. She turned her face into the pillow and closed her eyes. Rainbow was struck with a feeling that scared her. As she watched her friend there, on the verge of oblivion a new and alien emotion washed over her heart.  
  
Hate.  
  
Oh maybe hate was too strong a word but she could not classify it as merely anger. She wanted to save her friend but she also wanted Murky to pay. It wasn't like other times when she had to save the Earth.  
  
Rainbow rose and left saying,  
  
"I'll save her."  
  
Starlite glanced at her worriedly. She was smart, she would think of a plan, wouldn't she?  
  
Rainbow only saw red. Murky had messed with her work, the planet she loved, and that was one thing.  
  
Now he may well have killed her best friend, the girl she looked on as a sister. Her blue eyes shimmered with uncharacteristic anger,  
  
"Now it's personal, Murkwell Dismal."  
  
* * *  
  
Rainbow snuck into Patty's room. To her luck, Buddy had gone to get some more water so she had a minute or so. She knelt by the girl's side and smiled at her.  
  
"It'll be fine, Patty okay?"  
  
The girl made no reply. Rainbow rose but before she left there was something she had to do.  
  
Murky would try and do the same to her, she knew he would. Why he had abandoned his mission she could guess, without Patty the other colors would gradually fade. Rainbow opened Patty's side drawer and took a deep breath. She couldn't risk the earth's future if Murky did manage to take her colors away.  
  
She put her hands to her waist and slowly removed the color belt. Folding it carefully she slipped it into the drawer and slid it shut. Glancing at her friend one last time she headed down the stairs and towards the Pits, alone.  
  
* * *  
  
Pain.  
  
That was the only thing Patty was aware of. She was hot and cold, all at once. She wished desperately for anything to cease the pain, anything. Her body was scalding. She swallowed and a heat took her throat that she was unaccustomed to. She let out a faint whimper of pain.  
  
"Hang in there, Patty," Canary begged her, her optimism near collapse. She brushed the girl's forehead with a damp washcloth, trying to cool the burning fever. Patty in reply trembled. Canary put her hands to her mouth. She stole a glance outside.  
  
The Green Grange had faded so it was nearly as white as Patty. The petals of the flowers were fading all over the land. Without Patty's green leaves, they died without the nutrients that the leaves provided. The river was growing dull without the algae that were always there. Even the sky was fading without green in the light's spectrum.  
  
Patty, one Color Kid, one color, was causing all the evaporation of color.  
  
And they could do nothing but hope and pray that Rainbow could save her.  
  
* * *  
  
Rainbow slipped behind the Pits, near Murky's home. It felt odd to be coming here alone. Starlite was always with her and she felt bare without the belt but she knew it was best she left it behind. But that did not mean she didn't feel nervous. But her anger swiftly overran that emotion and she slid in through an open window.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey,"  
  
Red turned as he heard Patty speak. He was staying by her for the time being. They learned that when she had difficulty with breathing or something similar, even pain, the touch of another Color Kid seemed to dull it, if only a bit. But now as he walked over to Patty she seemed worried, not in pain.  
  
"Rainbow.she.went. She came in .few hours.ago."  
  
"Hey, hush." He told her but there was not the usual authority in his voice, he sounded like the concerned friend he was.  
  
But he took in what she was saying a minute later.  
  
"What? Rainbow left? Starlite's still here! She went alone?"  
  
Patty flapped her hand out towards her dresser, at the utmost drawer. Red looked at her, concerned and then opened it.  
  
His heart stopped; there lying neatly folded was the Color Belt.  
  
"Color Kids! Starlite! Here now!"  
  
* * *  
  
"See Lurky?"  
  
Murky held up a vial of green, the color from the green Color Kid. "Now that I eliminate one, the others will gradually fade. They're fading already!"  
  
He almost drew his gun up again but something kicked it away. Lurky looked up,  
  
"Hello Rainbow Brite."  
  
"Rainbow?' Murky looked up. Rainbow dropped from above and her eyes frightened Murky. He'd seen anger before in them but he swore that this was hatred.  
  
Rainbow bent her knees as she fell. Her feet absorbed the shock and she stood. Her eyes were burning, anger clearly present, anger so strong it just fell short of hatred.  
  
"Give me the colors back, Murky Dismal."  
  
"Come get them Rainbow Brat!"  
  
He ran for his gun but Rainbow intercepted him, grabbing him by his arm. He tried to knock her loose but only managed to give her a backhand. She was strong for her small stature. Murky was actually being forced back.  
  
"Lurky, give me a hand cheese log brain!"  
  
"Okay Murky," he started forward but stopped, "Uh, which hand, Murky?"  
  
"Just grab her!"  
  
Rainbow reached into her pocket and withdrew a handful of color sprinkles, which she threw in the large bubbling being's direction. He stopped immediately.  
  
"Look at the pretty colors!"  
  
At mention of colors, Murky turned. It was enough distraction for Rainbow to throw him down by he grabbed his gun and fired at her.  
  
She felt her colors being drained and despite how she tried to fight it, she was weakening.  
  
Then as suddenly as it began it ceased. Rainbow looked up.  
  
Murky was lifted off the ground and flung into the wall.  
  
"Starlite!"  
  
The said stallion grabbed the vial from the gun's barrel in his mouth and crushed it. Immediately the colors flew back and absorbed back into Rainbow's body. The stallion turned to her and pulled her up by her sleeve.  
  
"What are friends for?" he asked in reply to her shock. Rainbow turned to Murky. He tried to reach his gun but Rainbow reached it first. It turned rainbow colors under her hands.  
  
"W.what?"  
  
She didn't have the belt.what-  
  
She shook the shock and turned to Murky, "Where are the colors or do you want to be tie dyed?"  
  
He could tell by her voice she was serious so reluctantly he handed the vials to her. She calmly walked off. He reached for his gun. It shattered as Starlite slammed his hooves down on it.  
  
Starlite ran to Rainbow, who leapt onto his back. The two vanished as soon as they appeared.  
  
* * *  
  
"Red told us what Patty said," Starlite said, as he ran back towards RainbowLand. Rainbow nodded.  
  
"Starlite?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."  
  
He smiled, "Even the leader of the Colors is subject to being overwhelmed by emotion. You were worried, you were angry, don't worry.just think ahead next time. You let your emotions control you."  
  
Rainbow nodded. "Starlite, why did the gun turned colors like that? I don't have the belt."  
  
She threw down a vial as they raced over the grey patches. The colors returned immediately. The stallion shrugged,  
  
"I think since you were the one destined to bring color to this world, the belt let some of its power absorb into your body."  
  
Rainbow leapt off as they reached the castle. Starlite followed her. The answer could wait.  
  
* * *  
  
"Rainbow!"  
  
Rainbow ran into the room and sat by Patty.  
  
"Patty? Look at me."  
  
The girl turned her head and smiled. Rainbow took out the vial and cracked it in her bare hands.  
  
Gradually color flowed back into Patty's body. Her face grew flesh, the green returned to her hair and clothes. She felt a strength flood through her body. She looked at Rainbow and smiled gently as she sat up slowly.  
  
The Color Kids screamed, cried and hugged her. Buddy hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go but she finally pulled away and faced Rainbow. She said nothing but fell into her arms.  
  
Rainbow, Leader of RainbowLand let the tears come.  
  
* * *  
  
"Patty!"  
  
The girl turned. Rainbow smiled, "Wanna go roller skating?"  
  
"But," she gasped, "Your job."  
  
"Stormy gets a fun day," she replied. "I wanna spend time with you."  
  
Patty smiled but didn't reject. She took the offered skates from Rainbow and slid them onto her feet.  
  
Hand in hand the two took off down the path, towards a mass of bright colors, united. 


End file.
